Parents Nurturing, Affection Can Shape a Child's Brain Development

Parents do a lot more than make sure a child has food and shelter, researchers say. They play a critical role in brain development.
More than a decade of research on children raised in institutions shows that "neglect is awful for the brain," says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital. Without someone who is a reliable source of attention, affection and stimulation, he says, "the wiring of the brain goes awry." The result can be long-term mental and emotional problems.

Expert Calls for Finding Cause of Autism Before Focusing on Diagnosis

Despite moves to use brain imaging scans to diagnose autism, one expert urges that the biological basis for the disorder must be understood before technology can be trusted with the diagnosis.
In the current issue of the journal Nature, Dr. Nicholas Lange believes scientists should focus on conducting large, long-term multicenter studies to identify the biological basis of the disorder.